Land scam: Court bars further transfer of plots

New Delhi: A court hearing the multi-crore Molarband and Dheerpur land scam case allegedly involving former Delhi Assembly canteen contractor Ashok Malhotra has ordered the CBI and the DDA to ensure that the plots allotted fraudulently are not transferred to subsequent buyers.

Special CBI Judge AK Mendiratta gave the order while deciding to frame charges against seven persons including Malhotra in two charge sheets relating to the fraudulent plot allotments in Dheerpur Phase I and Nehru Vihar.

"It is a matter of concern that the allotments were made to ineligible/fictitious persons and the plots also appear to have been further transferred to innocent purchasers who may have spent their life time earnings. If the allotment to the initial allottee itself was fraudulent, no valid title could be legally passed to the subsequent purchasers/ transferee," the court said.

"The prosecution as well as DDA are directed to take necessary steps to ensure that the plots involved in the present 6 chargesheets (pertaining to fraudulent allotment in Dheerpur and Nehru Vihar area) are not further transferred to prevent duping of any bonafide purchaser," it ordered.

The court also directed that a notification be issued to the public specifying the 17 plots involved in fraudulent allotment in the 6 charge sheets and called for an action taken report from the DDA vice-chairman on September 7.

The CBI has filed 16 charge sheets covering fictitious allotment of plots under Resettlement Scheme of Slum & JJ Department and Scheme for Redevelopment of Kingsway Camp area. Malhotra, who earlier worked as a `chhole bhature` vendor and later got the contract to run Delhi assembly canteen, is a common accused in all the cases.